Cheap and Speedy Vegan Cuisine in the Heart of Barcelona

Veggie Garden happened on a particularly meh evening, after my cold had dulled my taste buds to that point where they could only detect two flavours: salt and potato. Thankfully the incredibly inexpensive menu (€8.25 for three courses) featured both of those items, and the service is so speedy the food nearly hit the table before I even finished ordering.

For my starter I had a thin and salty corn soup and Paul a cold and tangy roasted vegetable salad with balasmic vinegar and pesto. Neither were outstanding, but both welcome. I also ordered a plate of the momos, which looked prettier than they tasted (pretty standard in the dumpling department, really - nothing much to say either way).

I had half a bite of Paul's calzone before getting stuck into potato. The nidos de patata con setas y queso vegano (potato with mushrooms and vegan cheese) at Veggie Garden was the best of all the dishes by far. It came alongside a cold green bean, onion, and parsley salad and a sea of red sauce, and provided enough food to fill my belly twelve times (so naturally I consumed it in one sitting).

The dish had me stumped, however, as it was like no other potato meal ever, something like a skinned and baked potato coated and cooked in vegan cheese and stuffed with veg. Whatever it was, it's hands down the best comfort food concept in the universe.

Desserts were cake and chocolate mousse, but neither were memorable enough to talk about.

Veggie Garden has got to be the top vegan restaurant for anyone on a budget in Barcelona. Even the wine is piss cheap (and nothing to write home about, but what did you expect?). The service is crazy fast too, so if you want a hot meal for a quick lunch (and there's space inside), you'll be in and out in a jiffy. Go here for basic comfort food in large portions, without an expectation for anything mind-blowing, and you'll be pleased.